Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 21 Apr 1998

Vol. 489 No. 6

Written Answers. - National Monuments.

Tom Enright

Question:

579 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the position in relation to Durrow high cross, Durrow, County Offaly; if she will give full details regarding the EU grant under EU Structural Funds for the restoration of Durrow high cross; if this application for the project which had been estimated at a total cost of £400,000, 75 per cent of which is being met by the EU, has been withdrawn by her Department or by anybody whose remit comes under her Department; if so, the date of withdrawal of the application; the individual who authorised the withdrawal of this application; if the withdrawal of this application was a Government decision; the consultation, if any, which has taken place with the local community or with the Durrow high cross committee before the withdrawal of the application; the reasons for the withdrawal of the application; and if she had considered seeking an extension of time to discuss this with the EU before she withdrew the application. [9411/98]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

A provisional allocation of £400,000 was made for Durrow Abbey, among a range of capital projects to be funded under the operational programme for tourism 1994-99. Funding of 75 per cent of the total cost of £400,000 would derive from EU sources. The proposed project involved the provision of improved visitor access and facilities, with the adaption of the old church to serve as a small museum which would house the high cross and grave slabs.

In 1993 the Representative Church Body of the Church of Ireland (RCB) agreed to have the site placed in State guardianship. Subsequently in 1994, the RCB transferred ownership of the church and surrounding graveyard to the State, which in the normal course would have enabled Dúchas, the Heritage Service of my Department, to proceed with the planned project.

An adjoining landowner subsequently challenged the State's title to the land, having registered his own title in the land registry claiming long possession, without notice to my Department. Repeated efforts to negotiate a resolution failed and my Department has now initiated legal proceedings in order to resolve the issue of title.

Under the operational programme, Dúchas is constrained to only continue support for those projects which can be executed within the lifetime of the programme. Subsequent to the mid-term review of the operational programme for tourism in may 1997, it became apparent that the Durrow project could not be completed within the parameters of the programme. In the circumstances my Department had no option but to reallocate the funding to other national monuments and historic properties projects. In view of the ongoing title difficulties a case could not be sustained for an extension of EU time limits.

However, the Deputy may be assured that the Durrow Abbey project will remain a priority of my Department. I trust that the title issue will be successfully resolved which will then allow consideration of this project for capital funding in future work programmes.

I am happy to acknowledge the efforts the Durrow High Cross Committee and the members of the local community who have taken a very active role in seeking to assist my Department in relation to various matters at Durrow. It is my intention that this liaison will continue.